X42 AUSTEALASIA. 



The little port of Sankolirang, on one of the inlets north of the Mahakkam delta, 

 is now a mere fishing village ; but to judge from the surrounding ruins it was at one 

 time an important centre of Hindu culture in East Borneo. Sambiliung, Gunong- 

 Tehur, Bulangan and Tidiuig, petty states following north of Kutei as far as British 

 North Borneo, are amongst the least known parts of the island. A few Dutch 

 ofi&cials are stationed at two or three points along the coast, in order to maintain 

 the right of possession against the pretentions of the Sultan of Sulu, the claims 

 of Spain, and the further annexations by England. A large part of these territories, 

 long harassed by corsairs, is almost uninhabited. 



Administration of Dutch Borneo. 



The Dutch portion of Borneo is divided into two provinces, that of the west 

 with capital Pontianak, and that of the east with capital Banjermassin. As in 

 Sumatra, the Dutch functionaries establish their direct authority very gradually. 

 Sultans and rajahs are still at the head of the different states, although several of 

 them, "protected" by a Dutch garrison, are practically mere pensioners of the 

 government. Others, on the contrar}^ such as the Sultans of Pasir and Kutei, 

 being more removed from the centre of authority, are still real sovereigns, although 

 gradually sinking to the humble position of vassals. Even in the towns, where the 

 Dutch have long been indisputable masters and strictly obeyed, they prefer to rule 

 through native agency. The Chinese kap-tliai and kapitan, the Malay pamini- 

 hahan, pangeran and tomongong, are held responsible for the conduct of their subor- 

 dinates. The Dutch Resident abstains from direct interference in the local 

 affairs of each nation, so long as it keeps the peace and pays the imposts regularly. 



The Dayaks of the interior are liable only to a poll-tax, although the chief 

 charged with its collection contrives too often to levy it four or five times over. 

 The sultans farm the opium crop and the customs, and according to Bock their 

 surest source of revenue is usury. They lend to their subjects at exorbitant 

 interests and on soKd security. 



In the Appendix will be found a table of the Dutch administrative divisions, 

 with their approximate areas and populations. 



Sultanate of Brunei and British Borni:o. 



During the first half of the century, nearly all North Borneo was still subject to 

 the Sultan of Brunei, at that time the most powerful potentate in the island that 

 bears his name. At present his dominions have been enormously curtailed. Hope- 

 less of resisting the demands of those more powerful than himself, he has gradually 

 ceded most of his empire to the British. First went the island of Labuan, com- 

 manding the approach to his capital ; then followed the southern region of Sarawak, 

 surrendered to a soldier of fortune, and lastly the whole of the north handed over 

 to an English financial company. AVhat remains is scarcely a fourth of his for- 

 mer possessions, and even this is already under the effective suzerainty of England,, 

 pending its official annexation to the British Empire. 



